John Todd presided over Western Australian football for 50 years from the mid 1950s to the mid 2000s. He was to WA what Ron Barassi was to Victoria and Neil Kerley to SA. It is the end of an era – all have now passed within a couple of years of each other.
All were great players but their legacy is more as outstanding coaches, moulders of men and outsized personalities.
As a player, John Todd probably had more in common with SA Legend Barrie Robran, in that both had brilliant careers cruelled by knee injuries. In the era before arthroscopic surgery and knee reconstructions, both limped on, where now they would be restored to greatness after a year’s rehabilitation.
Where Robran’s injury occurred mid-career after he had won 3 Magarey Medals, John Todd’s happened at the start. He debuted for South Fremantle in the Reserves Grand Final in 1954 at 16yo, kicking 7 goals, then went on to win the Sandover Medal in 1955 by 4 votes over Polly Farmer!
South Australian legend Bob Quinn, after witnessing Todd’s debut at interstate level against South Australia that year, ventured the opinion that the youngster “was the most complete footballer for his age that he had seen”. As a player that was as good as it got, suffering a serious knee injury against East Perth in June 1956.
Todd was a brilliant left footed centreman/half forward/ruck rover who played only 132 games – all for South Fremantle spread over 12 seasons from 1955-66. His playing highlight was the 1961 Carnival in Brisbane where WA were upset champions beating Victoria in a muddy final. Playing on a wing, Todd won All Australian selection.
But if you say “Toddy” in WA, everyone thinks of the straight-talking, coaching hard man (much like Barassi and Kerley). His first premiership came at East Fremantle in 1974 where he coached 87 games 1973-76. He had 3 stints at his home club of South Fremantle over 172 games – 1959; 1966-68 and 1995-98. Finally winning a flag for them in 1997 (the year I came to Perth).
But his greatest coaching legacy was at my club Swan Districts where he won 4 flags 1982/83/84/90 in 417 games in charge over 19 seasons. The Black Ducks have been the perennial under achievers of the WAFL winning only 8 flags over 90 years – 7 of them under 2 men – John Todd and Haydn Bunton Jnr (61/62/63).
Earlier this year I viewed a 2 and a half hour history video the club made in the mid 1980s to celebrate its first 50 years. All the interviewed past players, officials and coaches are self-effacing and cautious (frankly boring) in front of camera – save for Toddy. Recruited in 1977 after his success at Old Easts, he immediately won enemies by telling the club faithful a lot of home truths.
“If you keep these players you’ll keep winning 6 games a year. Everyone thinks you are soft. You play a good quarter or a half, but don’t stick at it when the going gets tough.” His early years at Swans were difficult with long term players cast aside in favour of youth. “You don’t mind losing if you’ve got a plan for the future”.
After losing a Grand Final to his old club South Fremantle in 1980, the 3 flags 82-84 mark the greatest era in the club’s history in the greatest era of WA and Australian Rules football – immediately pre-AFL and pre-West Coast Eagles. Football in the 80s was hard, fast, tough, open, one-on-one with high marking and long kicking. A player’s game where coaches facilitated, whereas now they seek to control every aspect of the game.
Below is a clip from a 1982 Escort Cup game at VFL Park when Swan Districts under Toddy beat previous season VFL grand finalists Collingwood. I’ve seen the full replay (no longer on YouTube) and it’s magnificent – the only time Collingwood played in a clash jumper. Naturally the VFL/AFL poached a lot of the Swan Districts players of the era (https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/why-i-hate-victorians/). Look at the Swan Districts talent in that era:
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- Brad Shine (Carlton)
- Leon Baker (Essendon)
- Simon Beasley (Bulldogs)
- Don Holmes (Eagles)
- Phil Narkle (St Kilda & Eagles) – his older brother Keith (equally talented) never went east and captained 2 of the flags
- Gerard Neesham (Sydney; 5 playing flags at 3 WAFL clubs; 4 coaching flags at Claremont; inaugural Fremantle Dockers coach)
- Murray Rance (Bulldogs & Eagles captain)
- Mike Richardson (Collingwood & Brisbane)
- Peter Sartori (Carlton & Fitzroy)
- Darryl Sutton (North Melbourne; Richmond; Sydney; Glenorchy; North Hobart – 6 clubs in 3 comps for 249 games over 17 seasons)
Add to that list Graham Melrose who captained Swans’ 1982 flag after coming back to WA in 1980 from 111 games at North Melbourne – reuniting with John Todd, having been the captain & coach premiership combination at East Fremantle in 1974. Question for the history buffs (Gigs; Swish; Rodney….) – has any other combination won flags at separate clubs in a senior level competition?
With the West Coast Eagles entering the national competition, John Todd became the club’s second coach in 1988 and 1989, finishing 4th on the ladder in 1988 and losing by 2 points to subsequent Grand Finalist Melbourne in the club’s first finals appearance (Waverley Park). Todd’s sacking for the despised (soon to be admired) Victorian Mick Malthouse was acrimonious, feeling that he hadn’t been given the resources and support levels of other teams.
Also let go were Don Holmes and Phil Narkle, with the 3 reuniting at Swan Districts to win the 1990 flag in an upset over Claremont. Returning to his original club in 1995, he took Souths to the 1997 flag that was his crowning glory before calling it “quits” after 1998.
But Swan Districts had hit hard financial times; were only days from folding and put the call out to their greatest coach who then did 3 more seasons for love, respect and little more. “The situation was extremely bad and the club was at the lowest ebb. I only went back there to try to keep the club afloat as they were ready to close the doors. I wasn’t overly concerned that we didn’t have much of a football team at that stage. Swans just couldn’t afford to go out and buy players, so sometimes the coach has to wear the blunt of it. I was quite happy to walk away with Swans still playing. We did a lot of fundraising and the club survived.”
John Todd coached WA in 14 interstate games, and Australia in 6 International Rules games against Ireland. He was admitted to the Australian Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2003. He passed away aged 86.
Swan Districts and South Fremantle compete annually for the John Todd Cup, and he has always been there to present the trophy to the winning captain. Fittingly, it is the next game scheduled for both clubs after this week’s bye. Sadly he will no longer be there to grace it as the greatest figure in the history of both clubs.
https://www.australianfootball.com/players/player/John+Todd/15862
https://waflfootyfacts.net/player/stats.php?PlayerID=6425
https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/one-night-without-stripes/
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Fantastic summary of an extraordinary career Pete. As you say, the term Toddy is as instantaneously synonymous with footy greatness in WA as Barass, Mr Football or Kerls in Vic and SA. Thanks mate.
That’s greatness alright. Thanks for reminding us that footy is a national sport, with nation-wide history PB.
Thanks very much for this, Peter_B.
My first memory of J Todd has him as WA coach – a game against Victoria at Subiaco in the late 1980s?
He was WA football to me (teenager at the time). As unfamiliar as those narrow goalposts, Burley footballs, player numbers on the front breast of the jumper(!) and that enormous WA sky. Might as well have been playing on the moon. All that wide open space.
I guess there are many ways that thwarted personal ambition could play out in later life – both constructive and not so.
Vale John Todd.
Thanks PB. Terrific summary laced with perfect WA tone – and rightly so, as Swish alludes to.
When I was writing lots of footy – 1998 to 2008 – I had opportunity to chat to John Todd about a number of topics. One was Dean (then, now Danielle) Laidley. What impressed me was how willing John was to spend time discussing Dean, and the relevant issues around WA football, with someone he’d never met and whom he worked out quickly did not have a heritage knowledge of WA footy. He was quite frank about elements of Dean’s past, which he had well and truly addressed and come through. It was a patient conversation. I left thinking that John Todd cares about Dean Laidley. And cared about how Dean Laidley would be represented on the page. At the time Dean the coach was struggling to win Football’s respect, despite taking the Roos to a Prelim. I sensed John thought that was unfair.
Again, thanks PB, for your piece.
Vale John Todd.
Fantastic tribute, PB.
Wonderful summary of a wonderful football life.
Superb PB learnt a lot,Swish spot on re above
Great tribute PB. RIP Toddy. As I kid, I too remember him as being the face of WA footy and because of the black and white colours (and Mike Richardson) I was a Swan Districts man.
Unlike Vic and SA icons EJ and Kerls, who were jesters of sorts, I remember Todd as being a straight shooter, almost humorless, in terms of his public persona. But I loved it. Was stiff to get the sack in ’89, after finishing a Murray Wrensted miss from a semi-final in ’88. From memory, I think it was shellacking at Windy Hill that sealed his fate late in ’89 and they then opted for grumpy Mick. He did last a year longer than Ron Alexander though!
A gem of an article Peter. Well done
Wonderful tribute PB, and a great glimpse into WA footy history that doesn’t quite seem to get the same recognition as South Australian footy history on this side of the continent. Must have been an extraordinary player before that knee injury.
Great piece PB.
Thanks
John Todd played with my father as a teammate for South Fremantle around the time i was born. (1967) My father, too football career was cut short by inhjury and after Playing for North Melbourne under Allen Killagrew, moved to Perth and Played a few games at Sputh Fremantle.
My Father also passed away this year. But they both played golf together and talked about the old times with a cold beer afterwards.
Hes also played golf with Richie Benaud befote he passed away.
As a chtistian i hope they were all born again so i can see them all in heaven with Jesus.
A loy of people dont realise the need to believe on Jesus as He is “The Way, the Truth and the Life, and No one comes to the Father by Jesus
(John Chapter 14 Verse 6) I can’t stress enough how important it is that you accept Jesus into yout heart. It depends on where you will spend eternity
Heaven or Hell. Jesus was crucified and died so that you could spend eternity woth him in heaven. Mo one really knows what decision these people made in their last minutes on earth before they died. Its between them and God